Life is Like a Box of Chocolates
by Faith Donovan
Summary: Sharon finds an anonymous box of chocolates at her desk. UPDATED! I apologize for the initial formatting error!


She's not sure how long the box has been sitting at her desk before she finally notices it, which is a sure fire indicator of her present state of mind. She doesn't remember seeing it yesterday, so it must have appeared sometime early this morning. It sits there, taunting her, with its silent plea of "eat me".

She's able to resist for a good two hours before the little golden box with the red ribbon keeps entering thoughts. Eventually, she breaks and picks up the box before setting it down in front of her. There is no name on the box; it is not addressed to anyone nor is it from anyone. For a split second, she wonders if it's even for her, but then dismisses the notion; if not for her, then what is the box doing on her desk?

She tugs at the ribbon gently and smiles as she thinks about the identity of the person who placed this box on her desk. She doesn't need to see his name on the box to know that it's from him. He would be the one to do something thoughtful and romantic like that. She can't ever remember coming home to a surprise box of chocolates, and it warms her heart to know that she has finally found someone who is this romantic.

She takes the lid off the box and the delicious, sweet aroma of the chocolate fills her nostrils. She hums lightly as her smile grows and she looks into the box. There are eight pieces lodged comfortably inside and they appear to be of the assorted variety. She also notices that there is no guide to tell her which chocolate is which. Ah, so it is to be a guessing game!

She surveys the little chocolates until she finds one that is a milk chocolate square. Caramel? Possibly. Mmm, yes, definitely, and a delicious one at that. It's gone in a few seconds and she peeks into the box again. What next, what next... ahah. A milk chocolate rectangle with a white chocolate drizzle. Another caramel, as it turns out and she lets a happy sigh escape her. Chocolate and caramel is by far one of the best combinations ever created and she is ecstatic.

All thoughts of work now pushed aside, she leans back in her chair and settles back with the box of chocolates. Her waist won't thank her later but she can't stop now; to stop would be criminal. She grabs a little dark chocolate cup and finds that it is filled with coconut. Her smile broadens as her mind instantly thinks of white sandy beaches and palm trees. Next, she picks another dark chocolate and is surprised when its filling tastes fruity. She muses about what it could be as she takes small bites of the candy. Apricot, she finally decides.

She glances back down at the box and sees that she's already eaten half of the chocolates. Her self control is obviously nowhere to be found today and she should really stop... but one more won't hurt. She selects a round one next, milk chocolate, and discovers that it is filled with toffee. A soft moan slips out as she bites in; toffee is her absolute favorite and she wants to savor every last bit of it.

After the toffee is gone, she looks back down at the box and contemplates taking a sixth piece. She tells herself not to and puts the lid back on before placing the box back on her desk where it had been originally. She sits forward in her chair again, renewed by the surge of sugar in her bloodstream (or so she feels!) and gets back to work on her report. The taste of chocolate lingers in her mouth and she finds that all she can think about are the damned chocolates. She sighs and reaches a hand over the box, takes the lid off, grabs a piece, and shoves it in her mouth without even looking to see what it is. It's filled with peanut butter and and she coughs for a split second with surprise. She hadn't expected that... not that she had expected the others, but she hadn't been ready for a mouthful of peanut butter.

She puts her pen down and reaches over to the glass of water at her desk with her left hand before taking a sip to cleanse her palate. A glance into the box brings a small grimace to her face; there are only two pieces left now. She gives a little sigh and selects a dark chocolate oval, humming again as she discovers that it's filled with a vanilla nougat.

Only one more now; wouldn't it be a shame to leave the box like that with one lone piece of chocolate inside? It would be criminal to do such a thing, really; it was as bad as leaving a lone scoop of ice cream in a carton or a few ounces of wine in a bottle. Content with her rationalization, she pops the last piece into her mouth. It's a round milk chocolate truffle filled with a milk chocolate center. Wanting to savor in the moment, she leans back in her chair again and shuts her eyes, another slight hum escaping her lips.

Before she knows what's happening, there's a knock on her door and she bolts up in her chair, eyes flying open, grabbing the now empty box of chocolates and throwing it in the trash can. "Come in", she says, in her best attempt to sound normal.

He enters the room looking gallant and handsome as always, a slight crooked smile on his face, a slight wave to his salt and pepper hair. His presence makes her light up and she can feel the butterflies in her stomach before he even says a single word. He takes a look around and eyes the box in the trash can. "I see you found my gift... happy Valentine's Day, darling", he says as he closes the space between them by approaching and then gently sitting on her desk.

Despite the role reversal, she's thrilled and smiles broadly at him. "I couldn't help myself... thank you", she says, before he leans in and kisses her gently. "You had a little chocolate on your lip", he says before pressing his lips to hers again, a little harder this time. By the time they break apart, she feels like shes floating on air. She always feels like that whenever he kisses her.

With that, he stands up, straightens up his clothes, and gives her a wink. "I'll see you tonight", he says before he leaves her, breathless.

She always knew she liked chocolate.


End file.
